Only In Your Eyes
by Sayosia
Summary: Before Roiben and Kaye... before Ironside. An elf, Raven, is pursued by Unseelie court. What happens when Roiben saves her? Will there be romance? Sorry if summary sucks. R&R please!oneshot
1. Rescue

**Chapter One: Rescue**

Raven collapsed beneath a tree, unable to go any further. She'd ran as fast as she could to get away from them and it was all for nothing. They would follow her scent and then they would just take her back to that wretched place that she so despised. An ominous rumble flowed overhead. It was going to rain soon. Raven prayed that it would rain soon and that it would rain hard. She stood up and began running through the trees, only to come to a dead stop. Before her, perched on a midnight black horse, was an elven knight in black armor. He looked down at her, his expression unfathomable. He took in her bedraggled appearance and the way she was gasping for breath.

"Are you running from something?" He asked in a voice more beautiful than Raven could have possibly imagined. She didn't answer, afraid that this beautiful knight had been sent to look for her. "Come, now, I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help."

"The Unseelie Court… Nephamael… they're chasing me!" Raven blurted at once, swaying unsteadily. "They thought it would be fun to chase me like they chase the solitary Fey." The knight dismounted and approached her.

"But you're an elf, are you not?" He asked. Raven nodded. "Then why are they chasing you?"

"How should I know, I…" Raven trailed off as she heard a rumbling noise that had nothing to do with the storm. It was the thundering of horses. "They're coming! Please, you can't let them take me away again!" She pleaded. The knight mounted his horse.

"Then come with me if you wish for my help." He said, offering his hand. Raven grasped it and was pulled into the saddle in front of the knight. The knight urged the horse into a gallop right as the rain began to fall. Raven was never sure of how long they rode, but many times they came so close to being caught that Raven could hear the snorting of the horses, the pounding of their hooves, and the shouting of the men as they asked which way they should go. At one point, Raven could even see the gleaming coats of the rain soaked horses and Nephamael's shining armor. Eventually, though, they'd completely lost the group pursuing them. Only when the knight was sure that they would not be captured did he stop. Raven gratefully sank to the ground, not caring that she was getting her dress dirty with mud. It was already ruined anyways. By now, both of them were soaked.

"There, you are safe now." The knight said, dismounting and kneeling beside her.

"Thank you so much… thank you," Raven sobbed. Now that she was safe she began to notice the pain of the bruises and injuries she'd gotten when she'd been a prisoner. She felt her consciousness slipping away from her.

"What's your name?" The knight asked. Raven eyed him suspiciously. "Not your full name, just what you go by." He said.

"Raven," She answered. "My name is Raven." She leaned back against a tree and closed her eyes.

"I'm Roiben," She heard the knight say. "Can you try to stay awake?" He asked. Raven opened her eyes to see him eyeing her with a concerned expression. She nodded, but even as she did so she felt as if she would surely pass out despite her deepest wishes. She beckoned him closer.

"If I don't make it… if I die, please try to find my family and tell them what happened. My mother is Amaranda, she is in the Seelie Queen's court." Raven whispered. "And please appeal to the Queen on my behalf, or try to get my mother to. Let them know what members of the Unseelie court are doing." Roiben looked at her and stroked the side of her face with his fingers, an action that surprised her.

"I will." He answered. "But you needn't worry, Raven. You're going to make it. You'll be fine." He assured her. Raven smiled weakly.

"Thank you, Roiben." She whispered faintly. "I owe you my life." She slipped into unconsciousness as she felt herself being lifted off the wet muddy ground.


	2. Until Next Time

**Thank you to those who reviewed! It's always nice to know that someone is reading. I am doing my best to make the story as good as possible. I have written (and I am still writing) stories, but this is THE FIRST TIME that I have ever shared any of my work with anyone, so please bear with me. Hopefully with enough constructive criticism I can make my work enjoyable. **

Disclaimer: For the record, I don't own the Tithe book or characters. The only characters that are mine are Raven and Amaranda (so far)

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Chapter Two: Until Next Time

The moment Raven awoke, she knew instantly where she was. The smell of apple blossoms invaded her nose as warmth spread through her body, relaxing tense muscles. She had to be in Silarial's court. Despite the fact that she was anxious to discover what had happened while she was passed out, she kept her eyes closed. If she tried to rush her body, she would only make her conditions worse. _I should've known that wine was poisoned,_ Raven thought to herself. She'd been taught how to detect these kinds of things._ Yeah, I'd also been taught advanced combat by the best warriors, but did that help me when I was captured? No, it didn't help at all._ The though was a bitter one. Raven couldn't believe that she'd been so stupid to take such risks.

The moment she could open her eyes, she sat up and took in her surroundings. She sat under a pavilion of sorts, probably raised as shade from the unrelenting sun. It was open on all sides to let in a nice breeze. Raven saw that she was lying on a soft blanket that someone had probably put there for her when she arrived, unconscious, although Raven didn't see that she deserved such a luxury. Seeing that she was still a mess, she walked over to one of the maids standing beneath a tree.

"Is there a place I could go to wash myself and get a change of clothes?" Raven asked. The maid pointed her in the right direction.

As soon as Raven had washed and changed her clothes, she slowly made her way to where the Queen stood, surrounded by her handmaids. As she walked, everyone turned to look at her. _Why are their expressions so guarded?_ Raven wondered silently. They all looked at her as if she was a disgrace, yet there was admiration in their eyes. But that was only what was on the surface. Still, whatever they might be thinking, Raven walked with her head held high. _To show fear is to show weakness,_ she reminded herself. That was one of the many things she'd learned during her training. Raven was glad when she knelt before the queen, so that she could hide the fear and disappointment that had to be written all over her face.

"I am sorry, my Lady, but I have failed you. I do not deserve to even be in your presence." Raven said, humbling herself before Silarial. It was a while before the Queen spoke.

"You have indeed failed me." The Queen said. Raven flinched at he words, which were colder than the dead of winter. "But you have done what many would never dare attempt. For that, Raven, you are praised." Silarial's tone had warmed, and she had bent down to rest her hand on Raven's head. Raven looked up and met the Queen's green eyes.

"No, my Lady, I am not worthy of praise." Raven insisted, her black hair falling across her face. "I have allowed myself to be captured, thus insulting your best warriors."

"My dear," Silarial said softly, smoothing the hair out of Raven's face, "Yes, you have been trained by the best, but you were never trained to go up against Nicnevin or Nephamael. It is no fault of your own. However, I am rather disappointed to find that you'd been poisoned."

"Forgive me, my Lady. I recognize that the fault is mine. Punish me as you see fit, but I ask that you not send me from your service." Raven pleaded, keeping her eyes cast downward to avoid looking Silarial in the eye.

"Rise, my dear," Silarial commanded with a small sigh. "You will not be punished this time." Raven pressed the hem of Silarial's robes to her lips before obeying.

"You are too kind my Lady." Raven said simply, unable to say all that she wanted to. If she spoke what was on her mind, it would only get her into trouble. Instead she bowed to the Queen and departed, walking away quickly.

"Raven," A voice called from behind her. She turned around and saw Amaranda, her mother, running toward her.

"Mama," Raven acknowledged her mother, embracing her. They stood there like that for a few seconds before pulling away and looking at each other.

"I'm so glad you're safe!" Amaranda finally said. There were tears sparkling in her warm brown eyes.

"I'm only safe thanks to Roiben." Raven said as she turned away. Amaranda touched her shoulder lightly, a soothing gesture.

"Yes, sweetheart, I know. Roiben came to me as soon as he had delivered you safely to the Queen." Amaranda replied softly. When Raven turned around, her mother was looking down. "He told me that he would try to get the Queen to do something about what happened to you." Here she stopped, as if fearing to say what came next.

"She refused to do anything, didn't she?" Raven asked. Amaranda nodded. "I thought it would be so. She's not fool enough to go up against someone that matches her in power without a good reason, and apparently I'm not important enough. But I had to try."

"Oh, darling, it'll be alright. You're alive and well. That's what matters." Amaranda said. "The Queen can't really do much anyways, as you were in the Unseelie Queen's territory."

"I suppose you are right." Raven said with a sigh, running a hand through her hair. "Well, I must be off."

Raven, wait," Amaranda called. Raven turned to face her. "Promise me that you won't leave again. I can't bear not knowing if you're dead or alive." Amaranda pleaded.

"I can't promise something like that, mother. I work for the Queen and if she bids me go, then I shall go." Raven replied. She walked away before her mother could protest. It hurt her to say such a thing to Amaranda, but it was true. And it's not like she had a choice. If you worked for the Queen you did what she said without questioning. Only a fool would dare to refuse the Queen. Usually it wasn't dangerous to work for the Queen, but with there being a war between the Seelie and Unseelie courts there was always a chance of being sent on a dangerous mission. Letting out a weary breath, Raven sank to the ground beside a crystal clear stream.

"It's tiring, working for the Queen, isn't it?" A tantalizingly beautiful voice said behind her. Raven instantly knew who it was.

"And you would know?" She asked without turning around. Roiben knelt down beside her as she swirled her hand in the cold water.

"Yes, I would. I work for Silarial, too, you know." Roiben replied with a small chuckle.

"I have never seen you around before... and here I thought I knew everyone that worked for the Queen." Raven said with a sarcastic edge to her tone. It was more reflex that anything for her to be sarcastic.

"The Queen has a few who work for her secretly. She can't have her enemies knowing everyone that works for her." Roiben said, ignoring the sarcasm. "I'm glad to see that you're well." He added, his tone softening. Raven turned her head to hide a blush that was partly from pleasure at his words and partly from embarrassment.

"About that," Raven said quietly. "First off, I wanted to thank you for rescuing me and for being so willing to do as I had requested. And secondly, I would like to apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you."

"I can understand why you would feel the need to thank me, but why apologize? Was I supposed to leave you helpless and let them take you away, despite the fact that I could clearly help you?" Roiben asked, shocked. "How could I have returned, knowing that whatever befell you would have been my fault?" Raven turned to look at him. She realized, once she saw his expression, that she'd made a mistake in apologizing.

"I'm sorry. I just realized that you risked your life to save me. There were times the other night when, had we been a bit too slow, we could have been caught. You went out of your way to keep me safe." Raven quickly explained. Silence greeted her words. For a moment she thought that Roiben wouldn't reply, but he finally spoke.

"I was not going out of my way, though." Roiben contradicted her. "I was just in the right place at the right time. Besides, I _wanted _to save you. Is that not enough?" Raven thought on this for a moment before speaking.

"You say 'wanted' as if you were given a choice." She said, pulling her hand out of the water. She looked over at Roiben when he didn't answer immediately.

"The Queen found out that you'd been captured so she pulled together all her best knights and explained the situation. I volunteered to go because they wouldn't expect me to be the one to rescue you, seeing as they didn't know about me." Roiben explained. Raven nodded to show that she understood.

"Then, in that case, I suppose all that I have to say is thank you." She said standing. Roiben stood with her. "It was nice meeting you. I hope that maybe we will get the chance to talk again."

"Until next time, then." Roiben replied.


	3. Obsession

A/N: Yay! More reviews! Thank you, Zukaddy, for the support! Sorry if this kinda sucks, but I'm experiencing a little bit of a writer's block. Just bear with me and if you have any suggestions for the story, I will gladly hear them and I will give credit to those who do suggest ideas. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: For the record, I don't own the Tithe book or characters. The only characters that are mine are Raven and Amaranda (so far)

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Chapter Three: Obsession

Raven paced back and forth. She just couldn't seem to get him off her mind. _What was wrong with her! _Never in her life had she been so consumed by one idea, one thought.

After talking to the Queen, Raven had been able to return to her quarters in the castle. She had wanted to take advantage of this time to relax, but she'd found that it was going to be impossible. If only she could find something, _anything_ to distract her! Unfortunately, everything that she could do only occupied her hands and left her thoughts free to wander. She heaved a great sigh and collapsed into a large armchair in an attempt to relax. _Surely it can't be that hard to forget someone,_ Raven thought._ Sure, he did rescue me. And, yeah, he may have amazing eyes... No! I can't keep thinking about him! _She let out a frustrated cry. Why? Why was it so hard? A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, thankfully. It was one of the Queen's messengers.

"I have been told to inform you that the Queen is holding a banquet tonight and you are to attend." He said. Raven nodded and sent him on his way. So Silarial was holding a banquet... this should be interesting.

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_This is going to be a disaster,_ Raven thought as she walked through the halls, making her way to the banquet. A maid had been sent to help her get ready, so she looked presentable. Actually, she thought it was a little over the top, but if it would please the Queen... Still, Raven wasn't fit for going to banquets. She'd always been away for all the banquets, always on a mission or away from home. She was more fit for battle than she was a banquet. _At least I might get to see Roiben,_ Raven thought. Then she cursed herself mentally. _Here I go again with that line of thinking_. She didn't know which one was worse. Thinking about him incessantly or going to a banquet... although both were pretty bad, and here she was going through both. Oh well, the sooner she got this over with the better. Maybe then she could return to her missions and distract her thoughts that way. The sound of music reached her ears, sending a wave of dread through her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the doors to the great banquet hall open and stopped dead in her tracks. _There's so many people..._ she thought.

Couples filled the floor, twilling and moving across the main part of the floor. Even the Queen was dancing with one of her many suitors. Slowly and uncertainly Raven made her way into the mass of dancers. She envied the grace with which they moved. It was the type of grace that she possessed on the battle field, but doubted she would ever possess on the dance floor.It seemed a little backwards. One would think that if you can manage to be graceful on the battle field, you should be able to handle the dance floor without a problem. _Maybe I just have a fear of dancing,_ Raven thought, but it didn't seem possible. _Her _fear _dancing_... the thought almost made her laugh. _Maybe if Roiben was here... but no, he wouldn't dance with me. He barely knows me. Damn it! Why am I doing this? I just need to forget about him and move on._ This mental argument went on in her head for about five more minutes as she watched the dancers. It only stopped when someone tapped her on her shoulder.

"Listen," She said without turning around, "I don't dance, so if that's what you wanted then you're out of luck." When the person behind her didn't say anything or go away, she turned around out of curiosity and her jaw nearly dropped in surprise. "Roiben, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Raven?" He said questioningly. "Somehow I didn't think to see you here. You don't strike me as the type who would go to something like this." He seemed completely at ease, of which Raven was envious.

"I'm only here on the Queen's orders." Raven said as soon as she recovered herself. She'd gotten lost in thought as she stared at him. "Trust me, if I didn't have to be here I wouldn't be here."

"So, were you just trying to get rid of me, or do you really not dance." Roiben asked. Raven actually laughed at this.

"You can't be serious." She said as soon as she caught her breath. "I have never danced in my life. Somehow, I don't think I ever will."

"Oh, come on. I'll lead you, so you won't have to worry about not knowing how to dance." Roiben said. At first, Raven thought he was only joking until she saw his face.

"You _are_ serious." She said quietly. "No no no... I can't, Roiben. I mean it when I say I don't dance." _Which is a shame, because I would love to dance with him... if only I knew how to dance. _

"It'll be easy, I promise." Roiben said, his tone reassuring. "Please..." Raven found it hard to resist this. Seeing this, Roiben grabbed her arm lightly, putting one hand on her lower back, and gently pulled her in the direction of the dance floor. She offered no resistance, lost as she was in the feel of his touch. As soon as she realized that he'd led her to the center of the dance floor, she tensed. Seeing no way out of this, however, she put her hands on his shoulders.

"You're making a big mistake you know." She said. Roiben smiled down at her, not saying a word. "Fine. But if I mess up it'll make you look like a fool as well."

"What, are you scared?" Roiben taunted her. Her eyes flashed dangerously, but there was a smile in them. She tossed her long sable hair over her shoulder and laughed, causing many people to look at her.

"Watch me." She said to Roiben. "I'm not afraid of anything. Just remember my warning."

"You know, you have a very beautiful laugh. It's a nice musical laugh." Roiben complimented her. "And very pretty eyes, and lovely hair as well." Raven's heart seemed to stop and she faltered in her steps, causing Roiben to laugh. He didn't let her stop, though, and continued to lead her. _Very funny,_ she thought to herself. _We'll see who's laughing when this is over. _Was her obsession really that obvios, though?

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**A/N: Rather short, I know. I think I may have to keep it simple romance, though, so the rating has been changed to T. Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to take it farther. Just keep commenting so that way I know what people want. And also so that I know if people _like_ it. I'll try to keep updating it as fast as possible!**


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